After Forever
by syaoran no hime
Summary: A belated NaruHina bday gift.Naruto, now the most powerful man in Konoha, could not find peace of mind even when he had everything going the way he wanted it to be. An unexpected link to his past makes him realize why.
1. Chapter 1

**After Forever**

A NaruHina sidestory/prequel to About a Daddy and a Nanny. A very belated July birthday gift for my good ole sensible fairy grandmother, Attorney.

…………………………………………………………..

"I'll think about it."

Uzumaki Naruto's four simple words made both women halt for a few minutes, the food served before them laid forgotten.

That was the last reply they would expect from him after Tsunade had declared her most important announcement for this afternoon.

The Godaime sat straighter, and then spoke again. "You…heard what I said, right?"

Naruto smiled wanly. "Yeah."

"And understood it?"

"Yeah."

"Sober?" the blonde pressed, still incredulous. After all, she had just said that she had finally gotten her pink-haired protégée's agreement for the latter to have a matrimonial union with him. She was expecting nothing less than a cry of pure unadulterated joy from the golden-haired boy who had been infatuated with Haruno Sakura ever since childhood.

"Most definitely." Naruto turned to the still shocked Sakura, giving her an apologetic smile reminiscent of the boyish grins he used to wear in his genin days. "I respect Granny Tsunade, and I like you a lot, Sakura-chan, but…"

"But what?" His teammate of a decade or so had already recovered from her initial surprise and was now starting to smile. Predictability would never become Naruto. Never.

"I keep on… I keep on getting this weird dream…" began the Rokudaime, frowning thoughtfully. Twenty-six years old but already an important figure in the whole continent and the pages of its history even, the Sixth Hokage still keeps traces of his charming childlike innocence that manages to display itself in his few unguarded moments such as this one. This afternoon, he had taken a break from his busy schedule in the Hokage office to sit down in an intimate dinner with the two closest women to his heart. They had barely touched the soup when Tsunade suddenly declared that she was going to give him the news of the lifetime that he would surely want to hear.

Unfortunately, he had to disappoint the old woman, at least in this aspect. He couldn't possibly settle down unless he discovers the cryptic message behind those recurring dreams of a silhouette bearing the figure of a woman in kimono.

Every night, he would see the woman in various places: by the window, behind the waterfalls, by a kitchen, by the door…

And again and again, he would hear her haunting words echoing inside his mind. That she would wait for him till the day after forever.

He couldn't understand why those words seem to hold such power over him—his dreams would cross the boundaries of his waking hours that should be allotted for his work as the Hokage and his life as Uzumaki Naruto. He would spend countless moments pondering, struggling to recall the identity of that person—that is, if he _did_ meet her already.

Yet something within him was nagging that the woman in his dreams was someone his heart was so closely familiar with; and at the same time, she could invoke a powerful emotion within his chest, something he couldn't exactly name.

These and so many other reasons why he felt most unready for the unexpected proposition that both women handed out to him.

"Weird dream, huh?" Tsunade's lips twisted in wry amusement. "That is just one of the numerous consequences of hanging out with a dirty old sannin like him."

"I know the difference between weird and plain wet." Naruto's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Besides, we don't need to hurry. Sakura-chan still needs to enjoy her social life, while I still have other stuff to fuss about—namely, those you left on the Hokage office table."

The Godaime chuckled. "You should try the drawers, young man. More documents are gathering dust in there."

"You sound proud."

"I am." The old woman with the glowing youthful face smirked. "Very."

………………………………………………

"So what made you agree to Granny Tsunade's offer?" Naruto asked when he and Sakura were walking back to their respective quarters.

Sakura shrugged. "I like you."

"If that's your reason, you should have married a teddy bear," he pouted.

Making the kunoichi laugh heartily. "But I do… I really do like you, baka Hokage-sama—"

"Thanks for bothering with the honorific title."

Another crisp female laughter. "It took me a couple of years or so to admit it, but deep inside, you had always been very special…"

"A special child?"

"… to me." Her emerald eyes softened under the moonlight. "I like you a lot."

"But…" The lines on his forehead moved knowingly. "You do not like me enough to love me."

She nodded shyly. He knew it from the start, even with his countless attempts to win her heart back in their childhood days. She had reserved her heart and soul for only one person, irregardless of whether he would take it or not.

"Then why marry me?" he asked, frowning a bit. "I'm not Sasuke's understudy."

She vigorously shook her head. "Iie. It's nothing like that." A sigh escaped her throat. "It's just that…"

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to grow old alone." Her voice shook a bit. "I can't imagine living all by myself in an empty house in the future when today, I can't even stand the loneliness of my apartment."

"Companionship then?"

"I guess." Pensive silence followed for a moment before she spoke again. "We've been friends since childhood. It's a start. We can live with each other as time passes us by. The important thing is, we'll have each other to take care of."

"Sakura-chan…"

She paused and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Think about it. Marriage can live on love, may it be romantic or platonic. We'll both make it work."

He nodded quietly, digesting their conversation slowly.

She smiled, and then patted his forehead with concern. "How is your forehead holding up?"

"My wrinkles won't give up its habitat without a fight," he kidded as he gently dismissed her hand. "It was just a little accident."

"Little it is most not!" she said hotly.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, relax!" He shook his head smilingly. "It will take more than a few Waterfall Village ninjas to get rid of me."

"Demo…"

"I order you to get your butt in the house and rest already."

She rolled her eyes at him before entering her dwelling place.

……………………………….

_His mind bore nothing but blurred images and hazy recognitions. Instincts alone had permitted him to survive amidst the isolated woods in a place he too could not remember._

_But he gave himself no time to think of the circumstances—all his mental energy was focused on motivating his feet to continue running._

_Running from what? He could not remember also. Alas, the blood on his white coat told him that whatever he was running away from, it was surely going to harm him._

_He didn't quite recall when had he started running, but he was very certain that his body would soon meet its limits. If fatigue would not down him, his bleeding wounds would surely do._

_Just then, his ear caught the sound of someone's footsteps nearby._

_Adrenaline surged within him as he found a new reason to keep his sprinting._

_In a matter of seconds, he finally caught up with the source of the footsteps._

_A woman with ebony hair and flawlessly porcelain skin, dressed in immaculate white kimono and carrying a pail of water, turned to face him. He saw how her pale eyes widened as if he was someone she recognized, and that gave him some hope._

"_H-Help….me," he managed to mouth before finally losing the battle of consciousness and collapsing on the ground._

……………………………………………….

Naruto's eyes opened, startled. The first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling of his bedroom that was made visible only by the moonlight passing through the windows. It was then that his senses came back—the woods, the feeling of blood rushing out of his numerous wounds, and the raw fear that had nearly sent his wits immobilized which could have been fatal to him… they were all but part of that dream.

And the woman…

He turned to his other side, and then closed his eyes tight. Earlier, his sensei, Hatake Kakashi, had assured him that if, indeed, the dream was really a message, then it would unravel all by itself as time passes by.

If that was the case, he certainly hoped the message would come sooner. Peace of mind had been elusive to him ever since these dreams had surfaced in his life.

…………………………………………….

"I'll be going for a while, Granny Tsunade." Naruto was talking with the blonde Godaime the next morning in the Hokage office. He was grateful that the few pitiful hours of sleep he managed to catch this early morning was not evident in his typical cheerfully energetic face.

"And your itinerary…?"

"Some talks with the leaders from other villages," he replied. "My party and I would not be gone for too long."

"Have a safe and merry trip then." Tsunade gave him a smile that spoke volumes of her confidence and pride of him. "Hokage-sama."

He tipped the edge of his triangular hat reverently towards her in return.

………………….

"We should also be discussing the intensified safeguard measures for all high-ranking village officials that would help avoid careless incidents such as the assault launched against you," Sakura, who also plays the role of his personal assistant, told him as she studiously checked her notes.

He frowned. "Wasn't it an isolated case? Everyone acknowledges that the Leaf is a pacifist village that holds neither alliance nor grudge against any other territory."

The pink-haired kunoichi winked. "Trust me. Reminding the other villages of the ambush would make them apologetic and eager-to-please. It'll put us in a more strategic location in our future negotiations."

This made the Hokage groan audibly. "I hate politics."

"Who doesn't?" she asked good-humoredly. "But whether we like it or not, society is run by politics—not necessarily by governance."

He looked out at the window, sighing. "When I was a kid, I wanted to become Hokage so I could shove to everyone's faces that I'm not a low-life failure they make me want to believe in. At twelve, I wanted to become a Hokage to prove that a destructive monster within me does not stop me from desiring to protect everyone I love."

"You proved both," she replied softly.

"And I'm glad." He then made a face. "But the old man Hokage never told me the hardest part of being the number one ninja in the village."

"Which is?"

"Smiling politely though you want to make crushed cereals out of an asshole's nose." That was the Uzumaki Naruto definition of diplomacy, and Sakura couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, I'm hungry!" he whined after a moment.

"We're almost there."

"I think I can see a ramen stand! Wow, I really see it!" he cried excitedly when the drew nearer the entrance of the village. "And here I thought it was a mirage—"

"Naruto…grah, you idiot," she said amusedly. Just when she thought Naruto had already outgrown his old cheerful persona, he would surprise her every time.

She then turned to the horsemen. "Let's take five, guys. The Hokage-sama is famished."

………………………………..

"It's not as good as Ichiraku's, but I must admit, it's GOOD!" When she received a strange look from Sakura, Naruto quickly added, "In an un-Ichiraku way."

"You make little sense." Sakura waved her chopstick at him in mock scolding before proceeding to finish her own noodles order.

He grinned boyishly, and then reached for the seasonings tray.

"_The father finally arrived."_

Naruto's hand froze in the middle of grabbing the salt and pepper shakers. "Who said that?" His gaze darted back and forth across the customers and Sakura and his party. He, in turn, received quizzical looks.

"Who said what, Hokage-sama?" asked the pink-haired woman smoothly.

"N-Nothing." His attention went back to his meal, although his good mood had already been disturbed. He heard the harsh whisper in his ear loud and clear, even with its sharp hushed tone. He then realized that whoever said that, the message was just meant for him alone.

He reached for the shakers again, but another hand landed on them. He followed the length of the arm and the shoulder until he finally saw who owned them.

It was the cook, the owner of the noodles stand. He was an aged man, forty or fifty perhaps, with black hair barely covering the back of his head. He was looking at him with so much intensity that for a moment, Naruto felt that his eyes could have transcended to the most intimate depths of his mind. For awhile, he said nothing, as if he was studying his appearance. Until finally, he got up, leaving his puzzled wife alone to man the stall.

Naruto deliberated for a minute on what he should do next, but when he recalled those whispered words again, he found decision and got up to follow him.

"Where are you going, Hokage-sama?" one of the guards called out to him. This made Sakura and the rest of the Leaf soldiers turn his way, surprised.

He paused, then grinned at them. "To where nature calls."

Everyone sweatdropped.

………………………

He easily found the old man standing by a footbridge nearby. He was looking back at him, as if he was expecting his presence.

Although he had taken off his Hokage cap and was now garbed in his mere traditional white coat, he could still catch the attention of most people easily.

It may be attributed to the tales of the Kyuubi that surrounded him way back his childhood, or his small moments of fame in his first Chuunin examinations. Perhaps, the people too, could recognize him as the Sixth Hokage.

It didn't occur to him though that his striking manly appearance may also be at fault: what with his tall, solid built and charming boyish features.

The blond man joined him by the bridge. "Maybe now you can explain to me what you told me back in the ramen stall," he began.

The cook seemed to be gathering his words carefully. After a few seconds, he spoke. "My sister and I had been waiting for this kind of opportunity for some months already."

"What do you mean?"

"Your carelessness bore fruit, Hokage-sama," the cook murmured, audible enough only for him to hear.

"C-Carelessness?" His heartbeat started to turn erratic. Apparently, this man knew something he didn't about himself. The fact made him frantic, especially when he saw the grave expression on the old man's face.

"My sister is a medical nin," he began. "An aged one whom our village leaders had asked to retire already, forcibly if she must. She was on her way home to share her sad news when she met a young man wearing the forehead protector of another kingdom. He had just emerged from the woods, looking sullen."

"She thought he got lost, so she kindly asked him if she wanted instructions to reach the Information Hall of the village. Instead, the man asked her if she knew a midwife who was cooperative and would work in secrecy. He offered financial compensation, and so, my sister presented herself."

Naruto kept on nodding, although he himself was starting to get confused.

The old man continued his narration. "The man presented her at once to a woman who lives in the middle of a forest. She would have asked questions, but one of the agreements between her and that man was the rule of silence. Whatever questions that were forming in her mind then were buried underneath her instinctive concern and pity for the pregnant woman living on her own in the middle of nowhere."

"My sister came to visit the pregnant lady, which according to her was very beautiful. Very kind also, for the lady treated her warmly, like a mother of her own. My sister could not guess why the lady was in such state—she was, in no way, a loose woman. She acted with the refinement and elegance of a woman with breeding. There was also quiet pride in her eyes, and a lot of love in her eyes whenever she would tell her in passing how she never regretted the moment of untamed passion with the father of the child."

_Father._ Naruto suddenly felt butterflies roaming inside his stomach as he felt where all these was coming to.

"And then the day came that the lady had to give birth. My sister saw that the lady was undergoing excruciating pain with her labor for hours already. She was also bleeding severely. Transporting her to the city hospital with much better facilities could not be done anymore because it was too far and simply too late. Death was inevitable, but the child had to be born."

"Perhaps, sensing her death, she told my sister that when the right time comes, she must tell the father about their child. She said she wanted him to be the one to give the baby a name, and that she hoped the father would love the child dearly."

A lump formed in Naruto's throat. "And the father is…"

"You."

…………………………….

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

Fic Dedication: Still for Attorney, who doubts whether this is NaruHina. I'm hoping that the future chapters will erase that reservation. Miss ya!

……………………………………….

Sakura looked at the Rokudaime sideways, assessing his mood. Ever since they left the noodles stall, he had been strangely quiet and contemplative. The triangular Hokage hat shielded whatever his usually transparent azure eyes had to say. He didn't even speak much in the council meeting, making her do all the talking, with a few 'Is that correct, Hokage-sama?' questions she threw his way. And he would only nod dumbly, as if only a fraction of his mental manifestation was present in the meeting.

Something happened after he left the stall, she was sure, but what exactly was that?

"H-Hokage-sama?" she murmured softly. As she expected, he didn't even budge. He was still staring hard at the floor of their coach, his mind drifting in his own undecipherable river of thoughts.

She bit her lower lip. Seeing her usually cheery childhood friend in this unusual melancholic mood was certainly disheartening her too. After all, it was he, Uzumaki Naruto, whom she regarded as her pillar of strength when she finally accepted that Uchiha Sasuke was just not meant for her, no matter how much she loved the latter. It was Naruto who taught her to smile bravely amidst the pain, and to remember that she did not exist merely for someone else.

That first and foremost, she must love her own self first before she could love anyone else properly.

It was a most difficult lesson to learn. All her life, she believed in a single dream: that her fate was to be with Sasuke… forever. When her dream shattered into many tiny parts, she didn't know which piece must she pick up first. For a while, she thought she would forever be suspended in her sorrow and brokenness.

But the caring man he was, Naruto could not just stand around and watch her self-destruction.

One fateful afternoon, he paid a visit her in her bedroom, where she had opted to remain for some days already, barely accepting food or social calls. The Godaime, perhaps respecting her grief, allowed her to do as she wished and even declared her inactivity as her 'vacation'. The young Rokudaime though, had another opinion—one that he wasted no time to tell her in his visit.

"_Sakura-chan, what are you doing to yourself?" he asked, gazing at her up and down. "Hey, hey, do you know that your hair looks ABSOLUTELY sticky?"_

_She didn't answer._

"_And the eyebags! Man, I can just imagine how many cucumbers should you put there to cure it. Thank Kami-sama you only have two eyes, or else, you'll have to eat salad every night so you the leftovers won't go to waste!"_

"_Naruto, I am not in the mood," she said quietly. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave."_

_He paused, and then pouted. "I'm a Hokage! You can't make me leave!"_

"_Please." There was an edge already in her voice._

"_Demo…" His eyes softened pleadingly. "Promise me you'll get up and leave this room already."_

_Her fists crumpled the blanket that she was already clutching tightly. "You think it's that easy. What do you know about losing your happiness? You always find other things that can make you smile. B-But… but…" Her eyes turned misty. "…as for me… I have only one. The only one I love… and I can't… I can't have him."_

_Once more, the news of Sasuke's last sighting and his supposed vow that he would never come back to Konoha anymore washed all over her._

_She had, in no way, thought just how heartbreaking the word 'never' was… until Sasuke said it._

_Wiping her tears angrily, she faced the blond man. "How else can you tell me to go on living when I lost my one true happiness already?"_

_He looked at her for a moment, his ice blue eyes kind and understanding. And then softly, he spoke._

"_True happiness is not derived from another person, Sakura-chan. It is within you. That important person may be gone, but your important feelings will remain, and if you will it, forever." He eyed her intently. "Were you happy when you loved that guy?"_

_She nodded._

"_Did it change when he left us?" he pressed._

_She shook her head._

"_You still love him now, right?" When he saw her nod, he smiled. "Then smile, Sakura-chan. Those feelings that make you happy were unchanged, therefore, you shouldn't have any reason not to be happy. It doesn't matter where he is. Just continue loving him as you want to, and you have lost nothing." He pointed to his heart. "His memories will always stay in here. And if you need to remind yourself all about happiness, just look for him in your heart."_

The hump that the wheel encountered jolted Sakura back into reality. However, the Hokage didn't even seem to notice the sudden force that nearly threw him forward.

She exhaled audibly. Naruto had did a lot for her since childhood—something she was only starting to appreciate now. And if there was anything right now that could help know what was burdening his mind so she could help him, she would gladly give.

It was unlike the kind of love she carries for the Uchiha, but she acknowledged that she would do anything for him… and his own happiness.

……………………………….

A son!

The words had echoed hundreds of times already in his mind, but the impact was yet to subside.

Naruto closed his eyes and tried his best to imagine what could have happened that led to that unexpected consequence. He only succeeded in provoking a migraine.

While ignoring the strains of his cerebral muscles, he ran through his mind the faces of women he had contacts with. The most intimate one to count was his friendly dates with Sakura, in which he was sure he had brought her back to her apartment untouched.

So then… a son?

Surely the ramen cook would not dare make a joke about illegitimate sons and pregnant women. It was not also possible that the mother of the child had lied, for who would lie on her own deathbed?

But then, why couldn't he remember anything about a mother or her child?

He leaned back absent-mindedly. He knew that the only answer to his questions was an investigation. And with practically nothing right now but an unexpected confessed narration from a stranger, he knew discovering the truth at this moment may not be easy.

Ah, he had to start looking for the mother first.

"_There was also quiet pride in her eyes, and a lot of love in her eyes whenever she would tell her in passing how she never regretted the moment of untamed passion with the father of the child."_

His heartbeat quickened when he remembered that part of the story. If that was true, then…

…then the more that he should know who that woman was.

…………………………………………………………….

Just half an hour ago, the Hokage was uncharacteristically silent. But now, to Sakura's astonishment, he was suddenly energetic. She noticed it the moment he stepped down from their carriage—his excited steps and eager face gave him away, despite his still refusal to speak.

He dismissed her at once when she tried to follow him. When she craned her neck to see where he was going, she found that he was heading for the Jounin Mission Office.

_Now what would Naruto do there?_

……………………………………………………

"This is not going to be easy," was all Hatake Kakashi could say after he had finished explaining what he wanted him to do.

"Just try to get a census of that place," Naruto said desperately. "Try to get the names of the people who lived there recently."

"The place you're pointing me to is a forest. Unless bears and other wild animals talk, I won't get anything. Besides, that area is not a residential place, so isolated individuals who set up homes there have slim chances of getting counted." Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe she just doesn't like to pay our village taxes; or perhaps, she wants to hide from Christmas carolers. Smart move."

He didn't even crack a smile. Studying the continent map, he surveyed the area he encircled earlier. "Kakashi-sensei, tell me, had I been in this place already?"

The ninja peered down at where he was pointing at. "No. But your convoy passes there whenever you go out to visit other villages."

"I see." Now the blond Hokage was in deep thought once more. "How come I can't remember?" he wondered, tapping his pencil on the tattered paper.

The silver-haired Jounin gestured to his forehead. "There may be some things that haven't returned to your memory yet. Give yourself some time—your accident's wounds would heal itself all in good time."

"A-Accident…" he murmured softly. Yes, he knew from the stories of Granny Tsunade and Sakura that, indeed, he met an accident after he escaped a failed ambush by some rebel Waterfall village soldiers. But when trying to recall the details on his own, he fails.

The Godaime had assured him that his amnesia was temporary, and that he would be able to retrieve his memories sooner or later. For the meantime, he had to make do with Sakura's supervision over his everyday dispense of Hokage duties. Taking a vacation to rest and recover was out of the question –it would not look good for the Konoha Village if its highest ranking official would not be seen working just because of one assassination attempt orchestrated by minor rebel groups.

Kakashi suddenly spoke, breaking his contemplation. "I'll do my best to find the woman… and your son. Just concentrate on running our office. You left a lot of paper works while you were undergoing treatment."

The blond sighed. "Half of it belongs to Granny Tsunade's days."

"Well, it's yours now!" The Copy Ninja made it sound like a grand prize from a game show.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"I still can't stop thinking of her… and our son." He looked out at the window, a pensive expression on his youthful face. "I wonder what our baby looks like. Does he take something after me? Does he have scratched cheeks like me too?

"I also want to see her." He took a deep breath. "The mother of my son. I-If only… if only I can… I want to know who she is… and I want to know… why, of all men… she chose me… to be her baby's father." His voice softened. "And… and I want to ask… if the old man was telling the truth when she said… when she said that she loves me."

The Jounin had to smile. "Ah."

"It feels… wonderful," the Rokudaime continued, speaking quietly. "To know that someone loved me once in this lifetime. Even if she's not here anymore, she left me a living memory. She left me a reason to stay happy." Determination filled his cerulean eyes. "I will find our son. Even if it means spending the rest of my life looking for him, I will do so."

The white-haired man patted his shoulder lightly. "Why spend the rest of your life looking when I can have the intelligence reports sometime next, next week? Relax."

…………………………………….

"Hahaha! Did I say next, next week?"

Naruto eyed his sensei dryly. The Copy Ninja had dropped by the office that certain Friday night when he was the lone soul in the Hokage Office and everyone else was in a sing-along joint, drinking beer while croaking along the lyrics pasted on top of skimpily-dressed women walking aimlessly down the beach.

In a nutshell, the visit was unexpected; quite ironic, since he had been eagerly waiting for him to drop by. Three months ago, that is.

"I forgot to tell you that I might come late," said Kakashi, smiling apologetically. He sat down across him and stared at his plate of chicken lollipops which he was eating when he suddenly, unceremoniously, dropped in from the window.

"No picking until you tell me what you've got for me," said Naruto, pulling the plate away from his arm's length.

Kakashi scratched his chin. "Very well." He placed a pile of scrolls on the table.

The blond eagerly peeked at the contents. "Is this the information you got about my family?"

"If you have the genes of a bacterium, then yeah, that would be quite a nostalgic read for you." He pointed to the title.

"Heeeey!" This seemed more like that journal that Sakura relishes reading every issue. The lone sentence that his eye caught contained at least eight foreign medical terms already.

"That should teach you to not touch things that aren't yours," laughed Kakashi. "I just put those down because Sakura asked me to help her carry these stuffs to her cubicle and I still have to talk to you."

"So where is MY info?" Naruto asked, groaning.

"Right here." Kakashi took out a small piece of paper and handed it to him. "I looked for people in that place you told me. There were only a handful of residents, and the distances of their shacks are quite far from each other. They hardly know each other."

"So have you found anything about a young woman? A lady with a son?" he pressed.

"Negative," said Kakashi, shaking his head. Most of these people are old folks who shun single parenthood. I just ended up playing shogi with them."

"Then what is this that you brought me?" Naruto asked, staring at the crumpled paper while debating whether he should still read it or not.

Kakashi continued to speak, ignoring the Hokage's question. "I checked the village records for births, did background checks on every mother of registered newly-born infants… it took quite a while. A month, I think. Nothing corresponds to the circumstances that you've told me. Besides, according to your story, the woman had no companions, so the background check was doomed to fail from the start. I just took a chance… like some other people adopting your baby."

"Then…?"

"I tried my luck on other official records. When I checked the list of deaths, I found a name that sparked my interest." He motioned for him to read the sheet.

Slowly, Naruto unfolded the paper and read the contents silently. After a few moments, his eyes widened.

"H-Hyuuga… Hinata…" Somehow, the moment the name escaped his lips, a cold hand seemed to touch his heart. He could feel it in his heart—he knew this person very well, although her face and everything else about her was beyond his mind's limited reach as of this moment,

Kakashi nodded. "No one informed our office about her death—a strange thing, considering that she is the daughter of one of the most important families of this village."

"H-How did this person die?" Naruto asked, all the while his mind racing furiously.

"The official records didn't state the cause. I did an investigation of my own, which led me to the person who informed them of her death. From there, I was led to where she used to live."

"She lived by the forest," asked the Hokage, his voice merely seeking confirmation.

"Alone," nodded Kakashi. "No one else knew about her, as well as her situation—"

Naruto's fists clenched,

"—except one." The jounin looked straight at him. "Her cousin, Hyuuga Neji."

Naruto's brows knitted together. For awhile, silence ruled the office. Until finally, the Hokage looked up, firm decisiveness written fiercely on his face. "Kakashi-sensei…"

The man looked back at him expectantly.

"I'm leaving for a few days," he announced. He had thought it over, and had finally resolved that he himself should find the rest of the missing pieces of this part of his life which was nearly forgotten.

The silver-haired jounin nodded with understanding. "Good luck, Hokage-sama."

…………………………………………

to be continued


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: After what seemed like forever, After Forever is finally updated. Yay!

………………………………

Naruto wiped a bead of sweat that strayed on his eyelid. His reflex action was not quick enough though—even after the movement, his left eye was still left stinging in the salty heat of his perspiration.

His eyes roved around the greenery that surrounded him, all the while quietly recreating in his mind what his eyes could see. And as he expected, he seemed familiar enough with this place for him to accurately mentally visualize this forest when this was supposedly his first visit in this area.

He had been hiking for hours already—he opted to let go of the luxury of a carriage so as not to alert everyone of the Hokage's sudden leave. Anyway, his Kakashi-sensei was the more capable of them in "explaining" things. He knew that at this moment, the man was taking care of covering up for him already.

He suddenly recalled what his teacher warned him when he asked for his advice as to whether he should try getting information about Hinata from Hyuuga Neji.

"_If you have decided that you don't love your life anymore, you can go ahead with your plan." Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He knows that you are his nephew's father, and he'll do everything in his power to keep the baby away from you. That includes shredding your flesh into a thousand and one pieces."_

_He frowned. "I'm ready to fight him to the finish."  
"The Hokage is not allowed to act so impetuously, especially when lives at are stake here. And in this case, it's not just yours or Neji. Your son's own life and an opportunity to be with his father lies here too," Kakashi reminded him gently. _

"_B-But…" he sputtered. "Neji hasn't heard my story yet. I-If he knew that I didn't intentionally leave Hinata… that I only am starting to remember my past now…"_

"_Listening is not one of that guy's best points, along with Talking Sensibly like a Civilized Person and Understanding Other Non-Geniuses' Shortcomings." The Copy Ninja sighed audibly. "He has a one-dimensional way of thinking. The only thing he knows right now is you deserted his cousin when she needed you most."_

"_I didn't—"_

"_That's what he knows."_

"_Am I not entitled to defend myself from his…well, stupidity and pig-headedness?" Naruto demanded to know._

"_Not yet." His mentor patted his shoulder. "Your most potent defense is a detailed account of what really happened in the forest. As of now, you don't have that."_

_The Hokage's shoulders sagged along with his newfound fighting spirit._

"_There is a time for everything, Hokage-sama," advised Kakashi quietly. "Now is not the time to settle things between you and Neji. You better concentrate on getting your memories back."_

_He nodded dumbly._

……..

Another half-hour of walking had led him to a rough road with a graveled path snaking towards the other side of the forest. Intuitively, he started to tread that path. As he dragged his feet to the ground, his mind started to wander back to the girl in the picture that Kakashi had showed him days ago.

_Hyuuga Hinata. _He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember all the things he could about her, but mere blurred images dawned into his memory.

Earlier, he had already tried asking Sakura about her, but all the woman could say was, "She's someone not important." And as if scorched by his inquisitive gaze, she gave him a flimsy excuse of having to attend to suddenly imperative business and left him.

He told Kakashi-sensei about this, but the man merely doubled over with laughter. When he asked his mentor what it was all about, Kakashi—shaking shoulders and all—scolded him that the Hokage-sama should know better than to talk to a woman about another woman.

That was only when it hit him.

Sakura-chan doesn't want to talk about Hinata because she's a girl. Girls like to talk about boys.

When he shared his winning theory with the Copy Ninja, the latter nearly rolled over the floor, laughing his insides out.

Ah, he would never, EVER figure out women.

Moments later, his laborious effort rewarded him with a sight of a ramshackle hut that stood unaccompanied in the loneliness of the greenery. As he drew nearer, excitement started to pump into his system.

_This one… _He gazed at the pail of murky water with leaves and swimming insects in it. _This looks familiar._

He suddenly had a vision of a long-haired woman carrying it, with the pail's then clear blue water splashing on the knee-part of her lily-white kimono.

His heartbeat's pace quickened. Could that woman then be…

He turned his attention next to the broom that stood against the wall. Its wooden handle had gathered cobwebs, but in his mind's eye, he could see a pair of porcelain-skinned hands holding the handle tightly. He could hear the rhythmic sound of the broom's contact with the ground.

As the breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the trees that surrounded him, he thought he could feel himself getting transported back in another time. He could suddenly see smoke rising from the shack's chimney, hear the sounds of the cows, pigs, and chickens, and smell the heavenly aroma of simple homemade pancake.

From a distance, he thought he could hear the broom brushing on the ground lightly, blending with the low melodic hum of a woman.

He could see a trail of white fabric dancing lithely to the waft that seemed to envelope the whole place in its loving embrace. Long, ebony locks swayed softly as violet satin ribbons struggled to untie themselves from the sea of black tresses.

It was then that he realized that the woman was already standing in front of him, though it was her back that was facing him. She was busy with her work, obviously, but her every movement radiated with her innate love for this kind of hard labor.

"H-Hinata…?" His voice registered barely above a whisper.

The woman stopped what she was doing. Slowly, she turned to face him.

Naruto felt his every body action cease. Even his breathing was forgotten when he came face-to-face with the woman who had occupied his thoughts day and night.

Her translucent eyes widened, and then surprise gave way to happiness. She smiled sedately, her cheeks crimson.

He struggled to swallow hard. It was all coming back to him now: Hyuuga Hinata, a woman he had known since childhood. She was that little shy girl he would once remember stammering his name while looking down at the ground. She was also the same girl who comforted him with simple heartfelt words that a kind heart chose for itself to say. She was also that person whom he vowed to fight an almost impossible-to-defeat opponent for in a tournament.

And Hinata was the woman who loved him enough to be the mother of his son.

Fingers trembling, he reached out to touch her face. Only to find out a minute later that all he saw was a mirage.

For some seconds or so, he couldn't move. But when thoughts started to fill him, he felt a very sharp pain slice through his chest.

And for the first time in his life, he suddenly felt depleted of strength. He sank on his knees, face crumpled and wet with tears.

The only woman whom he could have loved and would have loved him with equal ardor was gone, never to come back anymore.

…………

Hours had passed before he had decided to go inside the hut. Dusk was coming, and if he wanted to live long enough to look for his and Hinata's son, he would have to light a fire and ward off the chill.

Working half-heartedly, he deposited the chopped pieces of wood that stood by the chimney.

More pieces of wood were stacked in the kitchen, telling him that it was mid-winter when the hut last experienced residents inside it. He couldn't help but wince at that thought. Hinata pregnant, alone, cold, in an isolated forest.

While he was safe and snugly warm inside his pad, enjoying the protection of the ANBU force and the companionship of everyone in the Konoha Jounin Office.

_Hinata…_

Soon, his fire was glowing lightly and radiating cozy warmth. Satisfied, he sank on the makeshift bed of hay, his eyes gazing directly at the ceiling now clothed in fragile tangled strands of cobwebs.

"Hey, Hinata," he spoke softly, as if addressing an invisible presence. "If it's really you that brought me here, then please help me remember. I… I want to remember what happened."

Silence.

"It will help me get our son back," he pleaded. "And I want to know… I want to know if I really am worthy to introduce myself to him."

The fire cackled, the shadows on the wall flickered, but aside from these, nothing eventful followed.

Wearily, he shut his eyes tight. And despite the steady eddy of thoughts inside his head, slumber was able to penetrate his consciousness. Soon enough, he was already snoring softly.

……………………………………

"This way! The firefox went through here!"

The hasty, frantic bellows of men wearing the headband protector of the Waterfall Country boomed inside the ears of the profusely-bleeding Uzumaki Naruto. The tourniquet he applied on his right knee had tried to delay his death by excessive hemorrhage, but for how long, he didn't want to think about.

He knew that his bodyguards were all severely wounded by the ambush attack, but he had made sure that all of them would live. Sacrificing precious minutes of opportunity to escape, he applied a special first-aid jutsu on his every aide before he led his assassins away from the carriage.

Limping away from the tree bark he was hiding, Naruto gratefully reflected that at least, his ubiquitous personal assistant, Haruno Sakura, was downed by cough and cold days ago, Granny Tsunade, therefore, forbade her from coming along the trip to avoid contaminating the Hokage.

He stifled a gasp when he saw that his wounded body part was starting to feel numb. The shred piece of his white robe was also soaked with blood already—and that was the fourth time he had already dressed that injury. Dryly, he figured that his death was now a contest among dying from excessive bleeding, getting tetanus, or being actually found by his killers. _If I had to die, at least don't let those three things happen at the same time and when I'm fully conscious._

He grimaced. Now his humor was starting to get morbid too. Shaking his head vigorously, he struggled to keep walking. Despair was slowly settling within him—trees seemed to be an endless sight. He looked down at his bandaged leg. If he didn't reach civilization soon, he would be an instant organic fertilizer in the forest.

His few seconds of inattention had cost him dearly. Suddenly, a shuriken landed straight on his left chest—just inches away from his ribs!

Letting out a yowl of pain, he crashed back on the grass, gasping for breath. Pain had temporarily reigned his wits—all he knew was he had to scream his anguish.

"The firefox is bound northwards! Hundred meters to the east! Hurry!" a shout that finally penetrated his mind made him clamp his mouth shut.

Biting his lower lip to divert the prickly pain on his chest, his nimble fingers grabbed the jagged edge of the shuriken, which was now like a waterwheel navigating in a crimson shower of blood.

With all his might, he pulled the shuriken out. His best efforts though, could not contain him from letting out another shriek of agony.

"Faster!" yelled another voice. "He might escape!"

He pressed his palm on the wound and broke into a run. It didn't matter anymore if his wounds were going to open up and bleed—his main concern now was to get away from these people who were determined as hell to kill him.

Pain, despair, and fatigue were starting to take a toll on his badly beaten up body already though. His vision was starting to become hazy, his breathing had started to become more laborious, and he was starting to lose sensation all over his body.

He strained himself from falling into the abyss of hopelessness. He forced himself to think of other pleasant things.

_Ramen would be nice…_

_I wonder… Sakura-chan might get mad at me because I didn't bring her some sushi from the Mist village. And I won't get to tell her that I found a lead about Sasuke's whereabouts in that place. I want to personally see her smile when she learns that she may just see that idiot again. _

_And Kakashi-sensei would tell everyone that I haven't returned yet because I'm cuddling with a geisha downtown._

_Had Iruka-sensei decided to heed my advice and go out on a date tonight? But Kakashi-sensei would only take him to adult places. He should court Granny Tsunade's assistant instead._

_Granny Tsunade… is she worried about me? She might scold me for acting like that Ero-sennin. Always careless, always trusting. Always…_

A tear threatened to dribble down his cheek. _I may never see them again. And I wasn't even able to say goodbye…_

Suddenly, his ear caught a sound of footsteps unlike that of his executioners. This sent adrenalin pushing through his veins. Mustering his last few ounces of strength, he ran towards the source of the sound. He pushed branches of trees away from his face, until he caught a glimpse of something white that stood gloriously in the monotony of greens.

A pale-skinned woman, with long dark hair that contrasted dramatically with her milky complexion and her hem-long pallid kimono, was carrying a pail of water towards a house not too far away.

The woman immediately noticed him, and recognition flashed in her colorless eyes.

"H-Help me…" He was able to make one last step towards her before he lost his balance and plummeted down the dark chasm of oblivion.

…………………………

When his eyes opened, the first thing he felt was warmth, followed by a floating sensation. He groggily recollected his still disjointed thoughts.

A chase… yes, he was being pursued by some assassins in the forest. He remembered that they had an upper hand because they seem to know the place well enough to know where he may possibly be hiding and where he may possibly run to.

He mentally retraced his steps. He was bleeding heavily, he remembered.

Instinctively, he looked at his leg, and nearly did a double take.

His leg was visibly clean under the bubbling surface of a hot spring. Not only that, the water also reflected the towel that was wrapped over his head like a turban, and a white kimono draped loosely around his figure.

Puzzled, he got up unsteadily. Water generously poured down his form as he scanned his surroundings.

A flash of aura made him turn to the left. There he spotted a gentle brook that seemed to cascade downwards. There and then, he decided to investigate.

………………………………………

As he followed the brook's direction, he realized why he seemed to hear a gurgling sound reminiscent of waterfalls.

The stream he followed sporadically broke into halves by small cliffs, only to be joined by the banks that push the current together, and then caught effortlessly by a basin of water. From there, another lower falls formed, before the water continued its travel beyond the horizon.

Lifting the hem of the kimono, he used the scattered piece of smooth rocks as stepping stones to get to the other side of the stream. As he gazed admiringly at the nature-perfected scenery, he caught yet another explosion of energy from the higher falls.

Quickly, he climbed the drier rocks of the cliff to see the source of the aura. It didn't take him long to reach the second level of the elevated land-water mass.

And to his utter shock, a lone naked figure, shaped womanly, was standing beneath the falls, body position locked in a concentration stance.

He dared not make an audible exhale, as he watched the figure suddenly come to life. Her body started to glow with carefully contained chakra, and then began to illuminate even more when she launched into her quick, lithe movements.

He could only watch in complete amazement as she displayed the full force of her chakra, fortified by the energy that the waterfalls seemed to give off willingly to her powers.

She danced and glided and paused in the right rhythm, as if she was totally disconnected to the areas outside her world and the waterfalls. This immense intensity of concentration was one of the finest he had ever seen in all the battles he had faced.

And when she stopped, panting and catching her breath, her aura swirled for a few lingering moments, as if reluctant to leave the person who summoned such beautiful elements into the earthly world. But then they too, left.

The world began to turn again for Naruto, especially when the woman suddenly noticed him.

A faint smile dawned on his face when he saw her got up panickedly and ran towards the nearby boulders.

…………………………

"That was pretty impressive," he remarked when he reached her spot. He averted his gaze from tracing her body's delicate naked contour. He knew she was embarrassed enough already.

"I-I… I didn't expect you to wake up so soon," a trembling small voice came from the rock. "Y-You suffered critical wounds."

"I have great genes," he admitted. "It helps increase my recovery."

"I-I left you in the hot spring so you could relax for awhile," she said after a few seconds of silence. "I had treated you there also… because I had a feeling that the people who were after you might find you in my house if we go there."

"Great thinking!" he chuckled. Casually, he sat down in front of the boulder where the woman was cowering behind. "Oh by the way…" He disrobed and placed the wet fabric on top of the big rock.

"E-Eh?" The woman took the cloth slowly.

"That robe belongs to you," he said matter-of-factly.

"G-Gomen," she apologized softly. "I threw your clothes away because they may be contaminated with germs already. Your wounds were open, and your situation might just worsen."

"Thanks," he replied sincerely. "You're an angel. You saved a stranger's life, and I thank you for that."

"A-Ah no…" She fell silent. "P-Please don't worry about it," she choked out after awhile.

"Are you studying taijutsu?" he wanted to know. "Ninjutsu even?"

She gave an affirmative mumble.

"From what country are you?" he pressed.

She hesitated.

"Oh, alright!" He laughed breezily. "I guess it doesn't matter from where my savior comes from. The fact remains that you're heavensent. Get it?"

He thought he heard her shy laughter from behind the rock. For some reason, this made his heart feel lighter.

"Go get dressed, angel," he teased her gently. "Or else, it would be your turn to get sick."

"Y-Yes," came a happy whisper.

"Know what?" he asked as he heard the rustle of fabric. She was already getting dressed then.

"H-Huh?"

He shook his head smilingly. "It may sound incredibly cliché, but… you remind me of someone when you were dancing awhile ago."

"I-I see…"

He glanced at her briefly. "By the way, you can call me Naruto."

She nodded.

"And your name is…?"

She held her tongue for what seemed like eternity before she broke into a shy, proud smile. "Angel. T-That's what you called me awhile ago."

He blinked, and then broke into delighted laughter. He had decided that she was really a blessing in disguise—for a person like him that nearly got killed brutally, he was laughing like he had absolutely no worries in the world.

Thanks to an angel.

………………………………………..

to be continued


End file.
